Pastor’s Corner: “God is Still Rolling Stones”
Matthew 28:2 – There was a violent earthquake, for an angel of the Lord came down from heaven and, going to the tomb, rolled back the stone and sat on it.
When I look at the news on the internet and TV, I am struck by the division and hate that I see. There is a total absence of grace toward one another and stones are flying in every direction. Verbal and literal stones. While we throw stones, God is still in the business of rolling stones. And He rolls the right stones, in the right direction and at the right time.
Matthew 28:2 reminds us how God rolled away the stone from the tomb of Jesus. That stone was a wheel of granite, eight feet in diameter and one foot thick. It was rolled into a groove and perhaps weighed more than 4 tons which is over 8,000 lbs.
It seems that Christians have forgotten that God has always been, and is still very much in the business of reviving and restoring, and He is still in the business of “Rolling Stones.” God brings life from death. He is in the business of the impossible. The continual and ongoing process of restoration begun on the cross and is still alive and active today—that no matter how vile, how evil, how shameful, how horrific our stones may be, and no matter how enveloped in darkness they may be, his restorative power brings us alive and rolls those stones away.
God is an expert at rolling stones. Just as He rolled away that stone, He can also roll away the stones in our lives. Max Lucado wrote, “The stone was moved – not for Jesus – but for the women. Not so Jesus could come out, but so the women could see in.”
Mark 16:2-4 – Who will roll the stone away from the entrance of the tomb?” But when they looked up, they saw that the stone, which was very large, had been rolled away. When Mary and the other women approached the tomb after Jesus’ death, they saw an amazing sight. They expected to see the stone still covering the tomb, and they needed a way to enter the resting place of their beloved Master. The stone represented a barrier to their goal: to anoint the body of their beloved Master with spices. I’m sure their hearts were still downcast as grief flooded their spirits. “Who will roll away the stone?” they asked one another. These women were obviously not strong enough. How could they anoint Jesus’ body if the stone blocked the entrance? Imagine the women’s shock when they “looked up” and saw that the stone was gone. Who moved the stone? The gospel of Matthew answers with “an angel of the Lord.”
Do you have stones stuck in deep ruts at the entrance of your heart—stones of fear, rebellion, despair, or discouragement? Do they appear so large that you give up at the thought of even trying to remove them? Or have you tried, only to realize that no amount of heaving or shoving will budge them? The obstacles are not made of stone, but they seem just as massive and powerful—and you feel helpless to remove them. You cannot see a way out… or in.
All of us need certain stones rolled away in our lives. Stones of doubt, stones of fear, stones of uneasiness, stones of distress, stones of addiction etc. God is all about removing stones. When those barriers disappear, hope emerges from the other side—new life in Christ. But remember, it is God who specializes in stone removal. Whether you are looking for a way in or a way out, Jesus says, “I am the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Jesus’ death and resurrection opened the door to new life. The stones that imprison us or block our path have no power to destroy us. There is only One who can roll away your stones and bring joy, new life, and freedom through Christ. Why not trust God with your stones?
In His Grace,
Pastor Hamilton